


A Different Story

by Thatoneloser_kid



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-23 23:05:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14943047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thatoneloser_kid/pseuds/Thatoneloser_kid
Summary: The author re-writes everyone’s happy endings, leaving the heroes miserable and give villains their happy endings. Alice must find a way into the book and stop it before it’s too late.





	A Different Story

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think?Thatoneloser-kid.tumblr.com

Alice didn’t know what his plan was for her, but what she did know is that Rumple wanted something, and Issac was at his beck and call.

 

“You look worried, babe.” Robin commented, pulling Alice closer. “Don’t. We’ve won. You have your father back, we have each other, everyone is safe.”

 

“Something is off,”

 

Robin sighed, rubbing Alice’s arms. “I understand why you would think that, is had just been one thing after another but it is okay.” Robin ducked her head to look Alice in the eye, grinning crookedly at her. “We won.”

 

That was the last thing Alice remembered before she woke up alone in Storybrooke.

 

Everyone was gone and she knew exactly who was to blame for it.

 

She spent weeks hunting Issac down, his bullshit best seller tucked in her backpack.

 

Robin was there, her father was there, she had to stop the wedding between Emma and Midas before they kissed. She had to change it before the book ended.

 

The only way she knew how was put herself into the book and get Hook to Emma before the wedding ended.

 

She found Issac after two months of searching, finally finding the key she had heard Regina talk about.

 

Issac had screamed at her not to use it but she did, transporting herself into the book midway through, waking up in a cave somewhere.

 

She stumbled out of the cave, shielding her eyes frown the sun.

 

When they adjusted she knew she wasn’t in Storybrooke anymore. She was in a forest, probably the Enchanted Forest.

 

Her first stop was to find Robin, Robin would help her.

 

Alice looked around, no real idea which direction to go so she picked one and just started walked.

 

It took her almost a day to find her way out of the forest, relief washing over her when she realised she was in Nottingham, if Robin was going to be anywhere it would be here.

 

She checked everywhere, tavern, stores, the blacksmiths, finally finding Robin in the fifth tavern she came across.

 

“Robin. Robin Hood.” Robin lifted her drunk eyes to Alice, the hardness in them melting away slightly.

 

“No one calls me that anymore,” Robin grumbled, draining the rest of her drink.

 

“What? Why?” Alice frowned, sitting across from her, Robin wasn’t in the book much, just for a chapter as a helper for Hook.

 

Robin’s jaw tensed, waving for another drink. “What do you want, girl?”

 

“I need your help,”

 

Robin laughed, but there was no humour behind it. “No one comes to me for help anymore.”

 

“I need you,” Alice admitted as the waitress set Robin’s drink down.

 

Robin seemed to sober a bit at those words, tilting her head curiously at Alice. “Who are you?”

 

“I’m Alice, or Tilly, I don’t care which.” Alice shrugged. “And you’re Robin, or Margot. I need your help?”

 

“Like is said, Alice or Tilly, I’m not in the business of helping people anymore.”

 

“What would your father think?”

 

“My father?” Robin laughed. “He was a scummy pirate.”

 

“What? No, he, he’s a bandit, but a good bandit.”

 

“Good? My father?” Robin shook her head, leaving across the table toward Alice. “He ripped the heart to of a woman’s chest right in front of her daughter.”

 

“He has magic?”

 

“No, he used his sword.”

 

There was pain behind Robin’s eyes, telling Alice that there was more to that story.

 

“I’m sorry,”

 

Robin waved her hand dismissively. “Leave me in peace, will you?”

 

“Please,” Alice begged, her eyes damp. “I know you probably won’t believe me but we know each other.” Alice smiled sadly at Robin. “And that Robin is noble, she lives by a code, to protect those less fortunate. She is good, and pure. I know she’s in there, and I need her help.”

 

Robin stared blankly at her for a few seconds. “Are you crazy?”

 

“No. Well, the jury is still out on that one, but that doesn’t matter.” Alice shook her head quickly. “I need to find my papa. I need to fix this.”

 

Robin softened slightly at that.

 

“We know each other,” Alice repeated, looking at Robin with tearful eyes. “We only have a few days to fix this before it becomes permanent, I need to get back to my Robin.”

 

“Oh,” Robin frowned, licking her lips. “You’re going to have to explain all of this to me. Who are you? Where did you come from? Your Robin?”

 

“Okay, I’m from the enchanted forest, but not the one here, the author, who writes everyone’s happy endings, he has teams up with Rumplestiltskin to give all the villains this happy endings and destroy the heroes. You were a hero, Robin. We need to find my papa, or his doppelgänger, his true love is set to marry a man she doesn’t love, if we stop that then I think we can go home.”

 

“And us?” Robin frowned.

 

Alice smiled wistfully. “We always find each other, we fell in love in the enchanted forest, the first time I saw you was down the sharp end of an arrow, then you locked me in a cage, then left me locked in a dungeon.”

 

“That doesn’t sound romantic.”

 

“No, but I got out, followed you, you were trying to kill a troll with a mob of angry villagers, they threatened to kill me and you stuck up for me.” Alice smiled. “Then you started delivering letters to my papa, who couldn’t see me because his heart had been poisoned. Then there was a curse, it sent us to a land without magic, you were Margot and I was Tilly.”

 

“Tilly,” Robin hummed, seeming to almost recognise the name.

 

“We found each other again, even when we didn’t know each other, you saved my life, pulled me off the road before I got run over. We fell in love all over again.”

 

“I’m not that Robin,” Robin said. “I’m not a hero.”

 

“You are,” Alice insisted. “That man wrote you a bad start but deep down, I know my Robin is still there, I know you want to help.”

 

“I don’t,” Robin interrupted. “I don’t want to help, I’ve tried that, it isn’t for me.”

 

“I know, people can be horrible, ungrateful, sexiest.” Alice agreed, “But you help one person, you put a smile on one kids face or put food on one families table, doesn’t that make it all worth it?”

 

“I tried, I helped people, but I was always just a pirates daughter.” Robin grinned almost sadly, holding up her drink. “So I became a pirates daughter.”

 

“I know what it’s like for people to put you in a box, I was the weird girl from the tower, or crazy Tilly.” Tilly laughed, shrugging her shoulders. “But I’m not what they say I am. I’m Alice, the girl who escaped the tower, the girl who travelled multiple realms, not just Wonderland, had many different adventures, I’m the girl who fell in love with a pretty archer with a dumb smirk and terrible jokes.” Alice smiled softly over at Robin, so much love in her eyes that Robin felt her lips twitch into a hint of a smile. “I’m also Tilly, the girl with a dissociative disorder, that made half decent beignets and fell in love again with a pretty traveller who told me that no matter how bad I got she would be there.”

 

“Me? I’m the archer and the traveller.”

 

“Yeah,” Alice nodded. “I’m not who they say I am, you aren’t who they say you are. You make your own story, Robin.”

 

Robin nodded, downing the rest of her drink. “She’s lucky to have you, you know? This other Robin.”

 

“She is you,” Tilly stressed, catching Robin’s hand before she could call for another rum. “And if you help me we can get back to that.”

 

Robin eyed Alice for a second. “If I agree, what do we need to do?”

 

“You may not love me here, that’s why we can’t break the curse, but Hook is a villain, and the author would have to give all of the villains their happy endings, which means he still loves Emma, and Emma loves him.”

 

“Then why is she marrying someone else.”

 

“Because he knew Hook was different, he wrote that all villains got their happy ending, so they love each other, but he purposely messed with Hook’s, he forced Emma to marry king Midas to keep the kingdom from war.” Alice explained. “Hook gave up but if we take him to her, I’m sure it will work out.”

 

“How long do we have?” Robin asked. “King Midas’ castle is a few days journey from here.”

 

“I don’t know, I mean, we have until the end of the book, I suppose. It ends with the wedding.” Alice reasoned.

 

“Hey, John,” Robin called, and the drunk man at the bar lifted his head to look at her. “When’s Midas’ wedding?”

 

“Fuck if I know, kid,” John murmured, taking a drink. “I don’t even know what day it is.”

 

“Three days,” Drew answered from behind the bar.

 

“We need to leave now if we are going to have time to find Hook and get to the wedding.” Alice urged, getting to her feet but stopped when Robin stopped her.

 

“I didn’t say I would help you,”

 

“Come on, Robin. You love a good adventure,” Alice grinned at Robin, lifting an eyebrow at her. “Grab your bow and lets go.”

 

“Bow?” Robin scoffed, “I’ve never touched a bow in my life.”

 

“So, what do you fight with?”

 

“I don’t, I haven’t since I was injured.” Robin tapped on her left shoulder. “Haven’t been able to lift a sword properly since.”

 

“Right, well, we will figure it out.” Alice waved her hand dismissively. “We will get you a bow, it will be like muscle memory, you don’t need your left shoulder for that.”

 

“I don’t- Alice!” Robin called after Alice as she turned to leave, rolling her eyes as she got up, dropping gold onto the bar and patting little John on the shoulder. “If I’m not back in a week or so then I’m probably dead.”

 

“I’ll be sure to spend your gold wisely.” John said, holding her drink up to Robin.

 

Robin rushed after Alice, catching the door just before it hit her in the face. “Alice,”

 

“We have to go,”

 

“Alice,”

 

“There isn’t time,”

 

“ _Alice_ ,” Robin huffed, grabbing Alice’s arm and whirling her to face her. “Where? We need a plan, a rough idea on where we need to go.”

 

“The docks,”

 

“The docks is the opposite direction of the castle, Alice, we will never make it there and back.“ Robin pointed out.

 

“It is, but we won’t have to travel by land.” Alice said. “Traveling by water will shave at least a day and a half offa out travels.”

 

“What if Hook isn’t there?” Robin said.

 

“Than we look somewhere else.” Alice shrugged, snagging a bow and quiver from a nearby store, throwing it at Robin who fumbled with it. “We can walk for a few hours, build a camp before nightfall.”

 

Robin stared down at the weapon in her hand, glancing up at Alice then back at it. “I don’t know how to use one of these,” Robin huffed, handing gold over to the scowling vender.

 

“Muscle memory.” Alice called over her shoulder as she headed toward the woods.

 

“Alice,” Robin called, huffing when Alice just kept walking, making Robin rush to catch up with her.

 

Robin messed with the bow in her hand, slinging the quiver over her shoulder and holding grip on her left hand, unsure of what to really do with it.

 

They walked in silence for a few hours, the alcohol in Robin’s system never dropping bellow teetering on sloppy drunk as she kept drinking from her own reserves she had strapped to her hip.

 

She even offered Alice some, but she declined, eyeing Robin with worried eyes.

 

They settled in for the night just as the sky was turning that pretty shade of purply-pink that her Robin loved.

 

Robin went and collected firewood while Alice picked berries and set up traps to catch meat for the morning.

 

Robin had the fire going for Alice coming back, and was sitting beside it, warming her hands.

 

Alice settled beside her, offering Robin some berries but she refused, holding up her flask, a different one from before.

 

“I’m having a liquid dinner.” Robin didn’t take her eyes off the fire as she took a swig.

 

“That can’t be good for you,”

 

“No, definitely not.” Robin agreed.

 

Alice watched Robin, her face hard, the fire illuminating her face, her eyes looking even more pretty in the light of the fire. Her face, cold and set, reminded her a lot of the Robin she had met in the forest, the closed off, tough girl.

 

“What?” Robin grumbled, drawing her eyes to Alice.

 

“Nothing,”

 

“I’m not her, so you can stop looking at me like that.”

 

“Like what?”

 

“Like that,” Robin motioned to Alice with her flask. “Like- _love_. You don’t love _me_ , you love a better version of me.”

 

Alice frowned at that. “What happened to you?”

 

“Where do you want me to begin?” Robin laughed humourlessly. “My father? Pirates? People?”

 

“The beginning,” Alice requested, and Robin side-eyed her.

 

“My dad,” Robin sighed, leaning back against the log behind her. “When I was four he came back, didn’t know I existed, my mom made sure of that, and my father punished her for keeping it from him. He looked me right in the eyes, smiled and slid his sword right in between her ribs, through her heart.”

 

Alice didn’t know what to say to that, that certainly wasn’t the Robin of Locksley she had heard of and read about.

 

“Then he left me there, my mom just lying on the ground beside me. I remember just sitting there, not knowing that had happened, my moms eyes turning from that pretty blue colour to a cloudy white, her skin turning blue.” Robin recalled, so emotionless that it was eerie to Alice. “He left me there for four days before he came back. From then on I was a pirate, I watched my father murder and maim; men, woman children, didn’t matter to him. If they got in his way they were disposed of.”

 

“Robin,” Alice sighed, placing a hand on Robin’s but Robin quickly pulled away, rubbing her hands on her jeans.

 

“I’d had enough by the age of sixteen, I told him as much, I tried to run away. But he caught me, sold me off to another pirate.” Robin took a long drink. “I was a slave, in shackles, then he tried-“ Robin’s throat bobbled. “He tried to force himself on me.”

 

“What did you do?” Alice questioned softly.

 

“I put his own knife in his neck.” Robin answered. “I took off then, and I tried to do good. Help families, help the poor, but no one trusted me, I was always just Robin Hood’s daughter. I was shunned from villages, people forced me out, so I spent most of my time in Sherwood Forest, then I found my way back to Nottingham.”

 

“That’s horrible,” Alice sighed, tears prickling in her eyes at the story. “I’m sorry.”

 

“This makes it easier,” Robin wiggled the flask at Alice.

 

“Does it?”

 

“If I don’t let myself sober up,”

 

Alice looked at her sadly. “You are so strong, Robin.”

 

Robin snorted at that. “Sure, drinking myself into oblivion is strong.”

 

“You are, you’re alive still, after everything, all the stuff life has thrown at you. You have pulled yourself through it, sure, you’re not perfect, but who is, right?” Alice smiled crookedly at her. “You’re alive, that counts for something.”

 

“What’s the point in being alive if you aren’t doing anything with your life?”

 

“Sometimes pulling yourself through is all you have it in you to do.” Alice shrugs. “And that’s okay.”

 

“Sometimes I don’t feel like I even have it in me to do that,” Robin’s head lolled to the side, staring at Alice with drunk eyes and an eerily calm smile. “I wouldn’t kill myself but if I went out one night and just didn’t wake up, I don’t think that would be a bad thing.”

 

“The world would be a worse off place without a Robin.” Alice said, sadness swelling in her chest at this girls confession. Alice had been in this world for a few hours but for Robin this was her life, she had been here for twenty five years. Twenty five years of living hell. “That I know for sure, I have been to many worlds and none of them are as good as the ones with Robin’s in them.”

 

Robin laughed, a proper laugh, for the first time since they had ran into each other.

 

“So, you love her? The other me?”

 

“More than anything,”

 

“And how did both worlds react to that?” Robin asked, “My father murdered two men just because they were in love.”

 

“No one cared in the enchanted forest, love was love, and true love was rare, so when it happened it was magical, same sex or not.” Alice explained. “The other world was different, more cynical, they didn’t believe in true love, for the most part. Some didn’t care, some hated you for it. What about here?”

 

“No one tolerates it, you get caught you die.”

 

“Are you- my Robin and Margot was gay, she only liked woman.”

 

“Me, too.” Robin hummed. “You?”

 

“No one, really. Not until I met Robin.”

 

“So you’re a Robin-sexual.” Robin joked with a cheeky little grin.

 

“I suppose,” Alice laughed. “Have you? Even been in love or anything?”

 

“There was once, I thought maybe I was, but she was a mermaid, tricked me. After that my father knew, mermaids only lure in people who are attracted to them. I spent weeks locked the brig after that.”

 

Robin really couldn’t catch a break, and Alice had to wonder if that had something to do with her, there was a reason she wasn’t cursed like everyone else. Why she had been left behind in Storybrooke.

 

Maybe it was to do with what Rumple had said in the forest, about her being a ‘guardian’, pure of heart, maybe that made her a threat. Maybe Issac wanted to get back at her for that by making Robin’s story tragic.

 

“What are you think?” Robin requested.

 

“Why would he do this?”

 

“Some people are just drunk with power,”

 

“And you’re just drunk,”

 

“Always,” Robin agreed. “You can go to sleep, if you want, I’ll keep watch.”

 

“I’m sure you are capable of that in your drunk state.” Alice said. “You sleep, maybe sleep off the alcohol.”

 

“I’m more use to your drunk than hungover.” Robin said.

 

They both ended up falling asleep, startling awake the following morning with the sound of rustling.

 

They were both up in a second, Alice with her knife and Robin had already nocked and drawn back. The arrow flew from the bow in seconds, piercing the rabbits neck efficiently, killing it instantly.

 

Robin look surprised at the kill, the bow dropping from her hands. “What the fuck?”

 

“Muscle memory,” Alice grinned happily.

 

“I did-“ Robin shook her head, smoothing her fingers over her forehead. “I’m too sober for this.”

 

“At least we have breakfast now.”

 

Alice cooked the rabbit and had it with berries while Robin had rum with a side of rabbit for breakfast.

 

They started walking after that, stopping off after a few hours to get some water, Robin trying to shot the bow like she had that morning but couldn’t.

 

One arrow went too far left, one flopped to the floor, and the string pinged her on the nose more than once.

 

She was fuming by the time Alice slid up behind her, placing a hand over Robin’s diaphragm, the other covering Robin’s on the string.

 

“What are you-“

 

“Breathe,” Alice whispered against her ear. “Close your eyes.”

 

“How will that help?”

 

“My Robin doesn’t shoot on sight, she shoots on instinct.” Alice explained with a little laugh. “Her sight is actually pretty bad, she wears glasses in Storybrooke.”

 

“I’m not her.”

 

“Just try,” Alice said. “Closes your eyes, take a deep breath and envision where you want the arrow to go.”

 

Robin did just that, her eyes fluttering closed, taking a deep breath through her nose.

 

“Now shoot.”

 

The arrow embedded in the tree Robin had spent the last ten minutes trying to hit, taking her completely by surprise.

 

“Shoot on instinct, not sight, like this morning. You shot completely on instinct.”

 

“That was a fluke.”

 

“No, that was instinct.”

 

Robin didn’t look convinced by didn’t argue. “We need to get going, make up some ground.”

 

They walked until night fall, making camp and Alice cooked some of the left over meat.

 

“Where are you getting all of this rum?” Alice asked, handing some food to Robin.

 

“I have my ways,” Robin said, settling beside Alice.

 

“Can you eat all of this, please?” Alice requested. “You’re looking awful thin, Robin.”

 

Robin’s jaw clenched. “Please don’t,”

 

“Don’t what?”

 

“Care,” Robin glanced over at her. “I don’t think I could bare going back to before if you show me you care.”

 

“You won’t have to,” Alice assured. “We’re going to fix this, we are going to stop this book from finishing.”

 

“I don’t understand why you care, you know I’m not her.”

 

“I know, this has nothing to do with the fact you look like my Robin. I do care, about you, about everyone who deserves it.”

 

“I don’t,”

 

“You’re helping me,” Alice said. “Which means you do.”

 

Robin nodded, her arms resting on her bent knees, her flask hanging from her fingers. “I hope you can fix this, this other life seems good.”

 

“We will, you and me together, we can do anything.” Alice assured with a blinding smile.

 

Robin found herself smiling.

 

They ate mostly in silence, both lying back on the ground after they were finished.

 

“How long has it been for you?” Robin asked. “How long have we been in here?”

 

“A few months.”

 

“That’s rough,” Robin hummed. “You were on your own?”

 

“Yeah, but I knew I would find my way back to you- her. We always do,” Alice smiled sadly.

 

“That’s a special kind of love.”

 

“It’s love across every realm, I found you again in this one, too. We always know each other,”

 

“Even when we don’t.” Robin finished with a little laugh.

 

Alice sat up in surprise. “You- you remember?”

 

“Remember? Remember what? I was just making a comment.” Robin said and Alice deflated.

 

“Oh,” Alice sighed. “That- that was that I said before the first curse.”

 

“Oh, sorry.” Robin glanced away from Alice. “Do you- I mean- I’m not her, but if you need a hug or anything.”

 

“I would like that,” Alice murmured, shuffled closer and resting her head on Robin’s chest.

 

“Oh,” Robin’s hands hung in the air, like she hasn’t expected Alice to agree. After a few seconds she unsurely wrapped her arms around Alice, holding her tight against her. “I’m sorry this happened.”

 

“It wasn’t anyone’s fault,” Alice said, letting herself relax against Robin. “You’re bonier than my Robin.”

 

Robin laughed. “Is that a bad thing? I thought men liked thin women.”

 

“Men are idiots.” Alice hummed. “My Robin was perfect, every inch of her.”

 

Alice let her fingers run down Robin’s stomach, thinner than she was used to.

 

“I’m sure she wasn’t an alcoholic, either.”

 

“No,” Alice agreed. “But she didn’t have as rough a time of it as you have.”

 

“I’m I going to remember this? When we get back?”

 

“I don’t know,”

 

“I hope not,” Robin sighed.

 

“Yeah, you will have three conflicting lifetimes in your head.”

 

“Well, hopefully some of those are better than this one.” Robin whispered.

 

“They are,”

 

Robin nodded, planting a kiss on Alice’s head.

 

They arrived at the docks late afternoon the following day, and Alice recognised the Jolly Rodger immediately.

 

“That’s it,” Alice moved to rush toward the docks, but skidded to a halt when black knights blocked their path.

 

“Alice, we’ve been looking for you,” the main guard smirked. “Rumple told us all about you, we need you to come with us.”

 

“Back off,” Robin ordered, stepping in front of Alice when the knights advanced on them, nocking an arrow and drawing it back.

 

“Ah, if it isn’t famous Robin Hood,” the knight mocked. “Didn’t your father sell you off to the highest bidder.”

 

“Yeah,” Robin said. “And I put a knife in their neck, so don’t push me.”

 

“You don’t have enough arrows to take us all on, little girl.”

 

“No, but I also have a sword.” Robin shot back. “And we know how good pirates are with those.”

 

“Robin,” Alice touched the woman’s shoulder.

 

“Go, get to the Jolly Roger, you get Hook and you get back to her- me.”

 

“I’m not leaving you.”

 

“You said we are in love, right?” Robin asked. “And if I die here I don’t die in real life?”

 

“I don’t know,”

 

“Then let’s have a little faith, huh?” Robin grinned that crooked grin that made Alice’s chest flutter. “Go, save the land, get us back home.”

 

“Robin, please.”

 

“You have to, you don’t go now then we are stuck here.” Robin said, shooting an arrow through the neck of a knight. “Go, Alice!”

 

Alice ran toward the back streets, turning to look back at Robin, who had used all of her arrows and was now welding a sword, fighting off a few of the knights but her movements promptly stopped when the head knight plunged his sword through her back, right through out of her chest.

 

Alice watched with tearful eyes as Robin spluttered, blood dripping from her mouth, dropping her sword and looking down the one protruding from her chest. The sword disappeared again and Robin fell to her knees, lifting her eyes to Alice.

 

“Robin,” Alice croaked, her hands coming up to cover her mouth.

 

“Go,” Robin mouthed, unable to get the words out.

 

Alice felt like her heart had just been ripped from her chest as Robin fell to the floor in a pool of her own blood, her soulless eyes staring into Alice’s.

 

Alice shook herself out of her heartbroken daze as the knights ran toward her, running through the back streets to the Jolly Roger.

 

Hook looked surprised when Alice jumped onto the boat, glanced between her and the advancing knights.

 

“Who are you?”

 

“Someone who wants to help you get your happy ending,” Alice said, glancing back at the knights. “They killed my love, we have to get away from them.”

 

Hook stared at Alice for a few seconds before taking a step back, drawing his sword. “Men,” he called, and his men were by his side in an instant.

 

“Hook,” the head knight said, eyeing the men stopping them from getting on the boat, stopping them from getting to Alice. “Rumple wants that girl, hand her over.”

 

“I can’t do that, Sherwood.” Hook said, glancing at Alice who was looking at him in surprise. “Let’s set sail, boys.”

 

“Hook, don’t make us come after you.”

 

Hook ended up setting sail, only turning away from the knights when they were far enough away from the docks.

 

“Who are you, lass?”

 

“I’m Alice, you don’t know me, but I’m here to help you get your happy ending, all of our happy endings kind of depend on it.”

 

Hook stared blankly at her for a second. “What?”

 

So Alice explained everything, and Hook actually listened, and believed her, placing a hand on her shoulder as she talked about Robin.

 

“I don’t know if she will be there when we are back.” Alice admitted tearfully.

 

“Have a little faith, girl.” Hook smiled. “To Midas’ castle it is, then.”

 

Hooks plan was to storm the castle, Alice’s was to sneak in. They ultimately went with Alice’s plan because Hook’s men were either too drunk or too tired.

 

They got guards costumes and found Emma in her quarters, looking at herself in the mirror, smoothing down her wedding dress.

 

Hook stopped in his tracks at the sight, pulling off the knights helmet and staring at Emma lovingly.

 

“Damn, Swan, you always did look good in white.”

 

Emma’s eyes opened in surprise, and she whipped her head around to look at them. “Hook?”

 

“Don’t marry him,” Hook requested, moving closer, holding out his hand to Emma. “Run away with me.”

 

“Killian, you know-“

 

“It isn’t your job to put your happiness aside in the hopes it will save your kingdom.” Hook said. “Run away with me.”

 

Emma looked unsurely down at Hook’s hand but took it anyway, allowing Hook to pull her in closer. “Is that a yes, miss Swan?”

 

Emma didn’t answer vocally, she just kissed Killian, resulting in a shock wave that rippled through the land, then everything went black.

 

Alice woke up in Granny’s with a confused Hook and Emma.

 

“You did it,” Alice grinned, pulling them in for a hug.

 

“I think you did it, kid.” Emma laughed, patting her awkwardly on the back.

 

Alice laughed, but it died in her throat when her mind wandered to Robin.

 

“Robin,” she whispered before taking off in the direction of Robin’s place, bursting through the door in hope of seeing her there. But she wasn’t. “Robin?”

 

Alice run toward the living room, then the kitchen.

 

“Robin!” Alice called, her gut twisting with worry.

 

“Hey, what’s all the yelling?”

 

Relief washed over Alice at the sight of her girlfriend hopping down the stairs.

 

“Robin,” she sighed, rushing to her side and pulling her in for a hug.

 

“You did it, tower girl.” Robin whispered against her ear.

 

“You remember?” Alice asked, and Robin nodded. “All of it?”

 

“Yeah,” Robin sighed. “It’s a little tough having my only memories of my father be those ones, but I know that wasn’t him.”

 

Alice pulled back, her red swimming with tears as her eyes ran over Robin’s face, then her chest. “I watched you die, Robin.”

 

“I know,” Robin used her knuckle to wipe away Alice’s tears. “But even that Robin knew you would save us.”

 

Alice’s lip quivered. It wasn’t real, Robin was here, tangible, but it didn’t take away the memory of those empty eyes staring right at her, of the blood dripping from Robin’s mouth.

 

Alice didn’t realise she was crying, sobbing, until Robin pulled her tight against her chest, her ear against her heart.

 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry you had to see that.” Robin whispered against the top of her head.

 

“You just- you died, Robin.” Alice cried. “I can’t- I never want to lose you, I can’t.”

 

“You won’t,” Robin assured. “I’m here with you now, Alice. Forever.”

 

“Forever could be a long time,”

 

“I’m counting on it.” Robin said. “I was insufferable back there, how did you deal with me?”

 

“You were my Robin, even under that hard shell and alcohol.”

 

“Yeah,” Robin laughed. “I hope the liver damage hasn’t carried over. She was in pain, you know? Chronically, with her shoulder and mentally, god, was she hurting mentally.”

 

“Are you?” Alice asked. “You have her memories, right?”

 

“Yeah, but it’s different, detached, almost. Margot was me, Robin is me, but that Robin, it’s different, like a dream. I know her life but I feel like I was watching it through someone else’s eyes.”

 

Alice was a little relieved. “She went through a lot.”

 

“More than she told you,” Robin sighed. “Come on, let’s get to granny’s.”

 

“I’m glad it didn’t carry over.”

 

“You stop the book before it ended, so it didn’t stick.” Robin reasoned, dropping a kiss on Alice’s lips. “I love you, Alice Jones.”

 

“I love you, Robin Hood.”

 


End file.
